Former iPod chief severs remaining ties with Apple

Tony Fadell, known to insiders as the grandfather of the iPod and a former senior vice president of Apple, has formally ended his nine-year tenure with the company.

According to The New York Times, Fadell completed his gradual exit from Apple on Monday, relinquishing his role as a special adviser to company co-founder Steve Jobs. Fadell reportedly said he will advise company and pursue private investments with a focus on green technology.

In 2008, Fadell stepped down as senior vice president of Apple's iPod division. However, he remained on the company's payroll in his position as an advisor to Jobs.

Fadell joined Apple as the first member of its iPod hardware engineering team in 2001 and was promoted to vice president of iPod engineering in 2004. He became senior vice president of the iPod division in April 2006, taking the position formerly held by his ex-boss, Jon Rubinstein, who now serves as CEO of competitor Palm.

In the '90s, Fadell created a company called Fuse, which aimed to produce a new array of consumer electronics devices for the masses, including a hard disk-based digital music player. When Fuse ran out of funding, Fadell joined RealNetworks in 2000, but clashed with the company's chief executive and left after just six weeks.

Fadell then joined Apple, where he presided over the iPod boom and was also instrumental in the development of the first iPhone. He also oversaw smaller products during his tenure at the company, including the iSight.